Teen turns from crime to college

Friday

Sep 26, 2008 at 6:00 AM

DECATUR, Ga. --- After he was arrested for armed robbery, Jeremy Lee knew it was time to wake up.

Three years later, he's not only awake -- he's working toward his dream of becoming a neurosurgeon. Now 17, Mr. Lee earned a perfect score on the essay portion of the SAT, received his high school diploma this month and is headed to Morehouse College in January on a full scholarship.

He says his turnaround resulted from the support of his family, God and the staff at Bill E. Ireland Youth Development Campus in Milledgeville. A judge ordered Mr. Lee to attend the year-round boarding school operated by the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice after he and some friends were arrested for robbing an Atlanta-area restaurant in 2005.

"I'm very grateful I was sent there," the soft-spoken teen said. "There are so many people there that helped me and supported me in what I wanted to do."

The Clayton County teen received a standing ovation for his accomplishments Thursday during a meeting of the juvenile justice department's board.

His mother, Pamela Leverett, said Mr. Lee's arrest came when he was rebelling, at least in part because of his parents' divorce. But she said she never doubted that her son, who had been taking academically advanced International Baccalaureate classes in school when he was arrested, would sort himself out.

"It is a wonderful thing," Ms. Leverett said. "It is a testimony to the power of God to make something so positive out of such a difficult situation."

Mr. Lee excelled at Bill Ireland and insisted on finishing his high school diploma, director Ronnie Richardson said. Many of the facility's graduates earn GEDs, but only a handful get a high school diploma, he said.

"I felt like studying for a GED was giving less than I had in me," Mr. Lee said. "I knew I could get a diploma, so I just pressed on."

Daron Lee, a teacher at Bill Ireland, said Mr. Lee was a focused and motivated student who consistently finished assignments early and asked for more work.

"Since he did so well academically, he inspired other students to try to do well, too," the literature teacher said.

Jeremy Lee plans to study biology at Morehouse and wants to become a neurosurgeon.

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